A village street party in Mexico
Last week my good friend celebrated her sixtieth birthday with a once-in-a lifetime street party near Six Corners in the Village of Ajijic. Linda moved here four years ago after a thirty-four year care...
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A Man And His Goat
At the end of our two-month test of living in Guadalajara, Mary and I packed up my car for the drive back to Wisconsin.
We left Guadalajara early one Saturday morning driving north on highway 54. T...
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In memory of Don Pedro: Alebrije art from a master artist
A constant fluttering, deafening whirlpool of claws, fangs, fins, tongues and horns bewilder the senses in a frenzied shuttlecock of figures. This is the Mexican art of crafting alebrijes, monsters lovingly formed out of ordinary cardboard. Their grotesque faces and body-parts are delicately sculpted and painted with intricate patterns in a profusion of vibrant colors. Even if the mind tries to identify sections, it is impossible to tell the origin of even one of these beasts, as they are created in the imaginations of the artists and no two are alike.
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Our Mexico hotel in Melaque
One hour north of Manzanillo, Colima, the Primero Plus gave one final jolt in front of Melaque’s bus station. From air-conditioned comfort, we stepped down into the afternoon warmth. By arriving mid ...
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Budget hotels in Puerto Vallarta
We try to travel to Mexico twice a year, for a week or two at a time, packing just one carry-on bag each. This limitation is absolutely necessary when our two kids go along, because more than four carr...
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Exploring Puerto Vallarta by foot
Taking in the sights on foot is a great way to see some of the things Puerto Vallarta has to offer. By lacing up your walking shoes and setting out on your own, you get a close-up peek into shops and s...
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Mexico's extraordinary arts and crafts
Living here in Mexico offers me so many opportunities to be thankful. How did I ever fit a career into my life? My days are filled with friends, with travels, with bridge, with doll making and writing ...
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Fiesta de Guadalupe in Puerto Vallarta
Felipe Avila handed me his burning candle, converting me from spectator to pilgrim in the Fiesta de Guadalupe!
My arrival in Puerto Vallarta coincided with the beginning of the weeklong Fiesta de Guad...
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Footprints in San Pedro Itzican
As a home-based working mother I recently found myself faced with an annual quandary: how to keep my two restless pre-teens entertained over their summer holiday and simultaneously squeeze some quality...
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Mexican machismo and a Canadian tourist
“Watch out, Mom!” yelled Rose as the metal hulk of a city bus bore down upon the busy street corner. Hopping instantly back onto the curb, I choked on gasoline fumes while litter swirled in the bus...
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Life in Mexico: bugs, disease and puppy dog showers
One of my readers asked me to talk about bugs and diseases. These are simply my experiences or observations and they apply to the Chapala/Ajijic lakeside area south of Guadalajara. I'm sure different p...
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Lost and found in Puerto Vallarta
After a month riding long and short distance buses, the unthinkable happened! Reaching for the travelers checks hidden in my security belt, to pay for the hotel in Puerto Vallarta, I discovered them mi...
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Santiago's funeral
At ten in the morning the day was already hot enough to dry the tears on my face as I walked into San Juan Cosala to attend little Santiago's funeral. His teacher and his six-year-old school friends fi...
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Mexico's autumn antiques shows: A lot of fun
When I was growing up in New England, the autumn months were always full of weekend antiques shows. This type of event is not as common here in Mexico, but the coming months do offer collectors some su...
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Puerto Vallarta versus Cabo Beaches
Mexico Connect Forum Discussion Threads
Posted by Tim Bowen on July 12, 1999
I am going on my honeymoon in 30 days, and I was told by someone who just returned that the beaches at Puerto Vallarta w...
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Deluge in Guadalajara
On Monday, I took two friends with me to Guadalajara. My doctor gave me the address of a female Ob/Gyn who spoke English. It had been three years since I'd seen one and knew it was time for a mammogram...
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Lousiana to Puerto Vallarta
We will be traveling from Louisiana to Puerta Vallarta next week and are unable to find a good road map. Can anyone give us a good route? We are pretty much open to suggestions even as to location of border crossings. Any help that can be offered will be much appreciated.
read moreMexico: a visit to Sayula, Zapotlanejo and Zapopan
Sayula
After having read an article in the local Guadalajara Reporter by a man who retired in Sayula, some friends and I decided to check it out. It's a nice-sized town with a population of about 200,...
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Oaxaca to Guadalajara: The good.. the bad.. & the ugly
After getting set up to stay in Oaxaca for a while I decided last week to make a quick trip to Guadalajara and Ajijic to pick up some stuff I left there in storage and haul it down to Oaxaca. I had to drive, as I needed my truck to haul the stuff. I had planned to travel alone but at the last minute a young Mexican lady who lives in Mexico D.F. but had been spending Semana Santa in Oaxaca decided to ride with me as far as D.F.
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Hike to Cuastecomate, Jalisco
The curving expanse of the Bahia de Navidad greets a rocky headland at the west-end of Melaque. The tranquil cove is sheltered from the open sea behind a tier of craggy sea stacks. Around the rocky hea...
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Winter flying in Mexico: Paragliding Mexico's skies
Being a typical Northern California paraholic, the winter season just drives me crazy! Sure there's a little bit of flying here and there but there are very few thermals to hook on to and more often th...
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The mariachi
Each year here in Guadalajara, we host an international mariachi meeting, with a musical festival and all of the rest included. Mariachis from all over the world come to celebrate the occasion every year. I've even had the opportunity to listen, believe it or not, to Japanese mariachis!
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